1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an improved data processing system, and in particular to an improved apparatus for accessing audio data. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for accessing audio data from a remote source within a distributed data processing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Internet has become a cultural fixture as a source of both information and entertainment. Many businesses are creating Internet sites as an integral part of their marketing efforts, informing consumers of the products or services offered by the business or providing other information seeking to engender brand loyalty. Many federal, state, and local government agencies are also employing Internet sites for informational purposes, particularly agencies which must interact with virtually all segments of society such as the Internal Revenue Service and secretaries of state. Operating costs may be reduced by providing informational guides and/or searchable databases of public records online.
The largest segment of the consuming public does not currently have access to these resources. Such consumers are typically either unable or unmotivated to acquire both the requisite hardware and software and the necessary computer skills for taking advantage of these resources. As a result, the Internet is not accessed by many households and businesses because of the high entry cost and inexperience by many consumers in using computers. Consequently, a need exist for low cost data processing systems, which are simple to operate, allowing users without computer skills the opportunity to access the Internet.
Additionally, access to the Internet also is frustrated by slowed data rate provided by modems for analog telephone lines. These slow data rates limit the entertainment uses of the Internet to download and use actions instead of real time interactions.
Many telephone and cable television companies, however, are expected to provide high speed integrated services digital network (ISDN), T1, or other digital connections to households. These high speed communications links provide an ability to deliver real time video and audio over the Internet.
Various Internet sites offer various audio and video services. For example, some sites offer audio versions of television and radio news programs while other sights offer music, weather, or sports services. These services are typically accessible and entertaining only for persons who use state of the art personal computers or workstations and are connected to the Internet.
The largest segment of the consuming public does not currently have access to these resources. Such consumers are typically either unable or unmotivated to acquire both the requisite hardware and software and the necessary computer skills for taking advantage of these resources. A need exists for low cost data processing systems which are simple to operate, allowing users without computer skills the opportunity to access the Internet. This need is being addressed, to some extent, by xe2x80x9cset-top-boxxe2x80x9d systems.
In designing however, it is necessary to presume that the target user is unsophisticated and/or inexperienced. In particular, it would be advantageous to have a data processing system that provides a consumer access to the Internet through a low cost, simple data processing system that is both simple and intuitive, requiring little or no technical sophistication on the part of the user.
It is one object of the present invention to provide an improved data processing system;
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for accessing audio data; and
It is yet another object of the present invention relates to an apparatus for accessing audio data from a remote source within a distributed data processing system.
The foregoing objects are achieved as is now described.
The present invention provides an internet radio for receiving and playing audio data originating from an internet. The internet radio includes controls suitable for manipulation by human digits, a communications unit used to provide the radio a communications link to the internet, an audio unit, and a processor. The processor is electrically connected to the controls, the communications unit, and the audio unit. The processor includes first instruction means for establishing the communications link to the internet using the communications unit, second instruction means for accessing an internet site containing audio data in response to a manipulation of a first control within the controls, and third instruction means for playing the audio data through the audio unit.